PROVIDENCE — In their latest piece of political theater, nearly 40 Providence high school students staged a sit-in outside state education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist’s office Tuesday, armed with a giant...

PROVIDENCE — In their latest piece of political theater, nearly 40 Providence high school students staged a sit-in outside state education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist’s office Tuesday, armed with a giant “check” for $500,000.

They had planned to present Gist with the check, which was made out to “each student denied a diploma due to the NECAP graduation requirement.” Citing the 2010 U.S. Census, the youths, members of the Providence Student Union, say that $500,000 is the amount an average wage-earner would lose without a high school diploma.

“We hope she will sign it,” said Johanny Cabrera, a junior at Alvarez High School. “It’s symbolic. The $500,000 is for any student deprived of a high school diploma because of the NECAP.”

“We just want someone to talk to,” said Cauldierre McKay, a senior at Classical High School.

This is the latest salvo in the Providence Student Union’s very public critique of the NECAP or New England Common Assessment, which has drawn deep opposition from parents, teachers and educators, who say the test will disproportionately affect minority, low-income and nonnative English speakers.

Last year, students dressed as zombies descended on the state Department of Education on Westminster Street. They have staged protests at the State House and jammed meetings of the former Board of Regents, now the Board of Education.

Last winter, they invited two dozen adults to take the math portion of the NECAP. A majority of the participants flunked the test and spoke out against its use as a high school graduation requirement.

For the first time, this year’s seniors are expected to earn partial proficiency on the NECAP in order to graduate. Those who don’t meet that bar can retake the test this fall, and they can graduate if they show improvement. They can also take an alternate exam such as the SAT.

More than 4,000 students are currently at risk for not graduating in the spring based on last year’s scores on the NECAP, a statewide test in English and math.

Tuesday, as students gathered on the fifth floor of the Rhode Island Department of Education with their charity-sized “check,” top staffers rushed by them. Then, shortly after 4 p.m., the commissioner walked in the door.

“I hear you’ve been waiting for me,” Gist said. “Let’s make this happen.”

The students asked if they could meet right away. “We have something to give you,” they said. Gist said she had back-to-back meetings into the evening.

“We’ll move things around to schedule a meeting, maybe even this week,” she told the group. “We can get a big room.”

“It will only take two minutes,” one student said. “We’ll wait a little longer.”

Gist demurred and said she would ask a staff assistant to schedule a meeting with the youths.

At first, the students weren’t sure that option was acceptable, but they later agreed to meet with Gist later this week.

Afterward, several students said they were disappointed that Gist wouldn’t give them a few minutes of her time.

“We’ve been really polite and respectful,” said Cabrera.

Sissy Rosso, a junior at Classical High School, said, “She had enough time to say no.”